Insulation cutting tool



Dec. 21', 194s. G. w. MAeKl-:Y 2,456,882

INSULATION CUTTING TOOL Filed Feb. 7, 1947 George W. Mackey WWW# Patented Dec. 21, 1794.8

INSULATION CUTTING TOOL George W2. Mackey,

Louis, M0., assigner of fiftyy per centl to Sidneyl S'. Hogan, St.-

ApplcationFeb'ruaryv, 1947, Serial N0.'727`,093

8 Claims.

This invention relates to new and-useful improvements in cutting tools and more particularly to a-cutting tool adapted to facilitate the removal of insulation irom-afwire cable or the like;

The primary feature of thev present` invention is to provide an insulation cutting tool that is adapted to-facilitate theremoval of an intermediate portion of the insulatingv covering of a cable so as to aid' in splicing another cable thereto.

Another important feature o the present invention is to provide a cutting tool of the characterreferred to in which the cutting blades are selectivelyv spaceable longitudinally of the cable toc-increase' or decrease thea-mount of insulating covering to be removed from the cable.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction land operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had; to the accompanying drawings'forming part hereof, wherein like numeralsrefer toflike parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 'li-is a side elevationalviewfof the insulatingcutting toolI applied to ay wire-ca'blehaving an insulatingY covering with partsof the tool broken away and shown in section.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View.

Figure 3is a topfplan` View.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 'wherein for the purpose of illustration; I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral 5 represents a channelshaped member having an opening 6 at oneend in which a threaded screw I is slidably tte'd.

One. end of said screwk l threaded bore 8 centrally located in one end Of-a handle 9 so that by turning the handle the screw ismoved inwardly and outwardly ofI opening 6. l

The handle 9. is tapered at l to 'lit smoothly against the end of an externally threaded boss l l projecting outwardly from one end of channel member and an internally-threaded nut loosely carried on the handle is adapted to fit on said boss to hold the handle turnable in position. to the channel member.

A movable channel frame I3 having upper and lower pairs of ears I4 and 14a extending inwardly from `each side thereof is secured as at I5 to the inner end of screw 1 and a pair ofiv angle guides i6 secured as at l1 to the upper `side edges of member 5, said frame is in this manner adjustable byrscrew 'l and the turning movement of handle 9.

Extending between the respective ears'. I 4' andi is fitted into i a 2 Illafof frame I3 are shafts 2| which are preferably threaded at one end 22 to lit threaded openings-(not shown) in the ears.

Journaled for rotation on said shafts 2i are spacer 'y sleeves 24 and also mounted for rotation on each of said shafts ZI are pairs of cuttingy wheels which are selectively spaced betweensleeves 24, said cutting wheels projecting slightly outward from the sleeves to'cause circumferential cuts in the insulating covering 26 of a wire cable 21.

A. stationary frame 28 is secured in an 0D- posite side of channel member' 5 by s-crews 29 and is likewise-f provided ywith upperv and lower spaced apart pairs of ears 30, having shafts 3l threadedfat one" end in one of the ears. Spacing sleeves 32 and-'cutting wheels 33 are also mounted on 4the shafts 3l.l

Extending.;2 upwardly from opposite upper side edges of members Bare a pairof ears 34 through which'extendsashaft 3'5 spaced slightly above channel member l 5i' Loosely connected on shaft 35 for pivotal movement theretov as well as longitudinal movement thereon. is one end of a lever arm 36, havingcitsv opposit'eend extending toward handle 9 and' formed with a flattened nger gripping portion 31.

Afcutter bladeL 38:' has its upper end suitably `secu'recito ranupstan'ding screw 39 that extends upwardly through lever 36 and nuts 40 carried by said' screwon either'side ci lever arm 36 permit adjustment of said blade 38 to the lever arm.

Thefblad'elis. adapted for longitudinal movement ina longitudi-nal-'slotlll formed in member 5ft'oselectively cut the insulating covering longitudinally of the cable between the cuts made bythe cutting wheels.

A' pointer 42lissecured to one side ofthe lever arm for movement across 'a scale 43 and is adapted' to indicate the length'of cut made by thecutter bla'de 38.

Af'resilientspring'clip '44 secured at one end to .'t'heunderside 'of arm 36 is adapted to loosely bear onv member '5' for holding the arm normally in a raised position so that -cutter blade 38 eX- tends upwardly from the' insulating covering.

In. operation of the device it is first necessary to remove 'shafts 2l and 3l from their respective frames' and cuttingrwheels are adjusted -on the shaftsI-between"=the spacer sleeves so as to increase or decrease the width of cut.

The'shafts and l their component parts are thenlplaced'in positionto the'frames and cable having an n insulating covering is inserted betwee`n the frames with the movable frame being tightened inwardly to cause the cable to be held tightly between the frames.

The handle is then swung up and down causing the cutting wheels to make circumferential cuts in the covering but do not contact th-e cable wires due to the spacer sleeves which regulate the depth of the cut.

At the same time of the swing of the handle the lever arm 36 is swung downwardly causing the cutter blade 38 to cut longitudinally between the circumferential cuts and strip the covering from the cable.

The :cutter 38 is of a width to cut a strip of predetermined width from the cable, such as one inch strip, and the scale 43 and pointer 42 indicate the adjustment to be made in sliding the cutter 38 to cut additional one inch strips.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention the 'same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. In a device of the class described, a .channel member, a stationary frame removably secured to the inner wall of one side thereof, a movable frame at the other side of said channel member, longitudinally extending shafts carried by lcach of the frames, a plurality of spacing sleeves on the shafts, a pair of cutting wheels loosely mounted on each of the shafts and adapted to form circumferential cuts in the insulating covering of a conductor positioned between the frames and parallel to the shafts, and means carried by the members and connected to the movable frame for advancing the movable frame toward the stationary frame.

2. In a device of the class described, a channel member, a stationary frame removably secured to the inner wall of one side thereof, a movable frame at the other side of said channel member, longitudinally extending shafts carried by each of the frames, a plurality of spacing sleeves on the shafts, a pair of cutting wheels loosely mounted on each of the shafts and adapted to form circumferential cuts in the insulating covering of a conductor positioned between the frames and parallel to the shafts, and screw threaded means carried by the member and connected to the movable frame for adjusting the latter.

3. In a device of the class described, a channel member, a stationary frame removably secured to the inner wall of one side thereof, a movable frame at the other side of said channel member, longitudinally extending shafts carried by each of the frames, a plurality of spacing sleeves on the shafts, a pair of cutting wheels loosely mounted on each of the shafts and adapted to form circumferential cuts in the insulating covering of a conductor positioned between the frames and parallel to the shafts, a handle carried by the member, and screw'threaded means carried by the handle and connected to the movable frame for adjusting the latter.

4. In a device of the class described, a channel member, a stationary frame removably secured to the inner wall of one side thereof, a movable 4 frame at the other side of said channel member, longitudinally extending shafts carried by each of the frames, a plurality of spacing sleeves on the shafts, a pair of cutting wheels loosely mounted on each of the shafts and adapted to form circumferential cuts in the insulating covering of a l conductor positioned between the frames and parallel to the shafts, a handle carried by the memberand a threaded screw secured at one end to the movable frame, the other end of said screw adjustable in a threaded bore in the handle to adjust the movable frame upon turning of the handle.

5. In a device of the class described, a channel member, a stationary frame removably secured to the inner wall of one side thereof, a movable frame at the other side of said channel member, longitudinally extending shafts carried by each of the frames, a plurality of spacing sleeves on the shafts, a pair of cutting wheels loosely mounted on each of the shafts and adapted to form circumferential cuts in the insulating covering of a conductor positioned between the frames and parallel to the shafts, means carried by the members and connected to the movable frame for adjusting the latter, a longitudinal slot in the upper portion of said channel member, a cutting blade adjustable in and out of said slot and longitudinally therein for longitudinal cutting of the insulating covering on a conductor, and an arm pivotally connected to the member and connected to the upper end of said blade.

6. In a device of the class described, a channel member, a stationary frame removably secured to the inner wall of one side thereof, a movable frame at the other side of said channel member, longitudinally extending shafts carried by keach of the frames, a plurality of spacing sleeves on the shafts, a pair of cutting wheels loosely mounted on each of the shafts and adapted to form circumferential cuts in the insulating covering of a conductor positioned between the frames and parallel to the shafts, means carried by the members and connected to the movable frame for 'f adjusting the latter, a longitudinally extending shaft carried by the upper end of said member and spaced upwardly from said member, an arm pivoted to said shaft for sliding movement on the shaft, a longitudinal slot in the channel member, and a cutting blade adjustably connected to the arm for movement into and out of the slot, said blade adapted to provide means for` selectively cutting longitudinal cuts in the same insulating covering.

'7. In a device of the class described, a channel member a stationary frame removably secured to the inner wall of one side thereof, a movable frame at the other side of said channel member, longitudinally extending shafts carried by each of the frames, a plurality of spacing sleeves on the shafts, a pair of cutting wheels loosely mounted on each of the shafts and adapted to form circumferential cuts in the insulating covering of a conductor positioned between the frames and parallel to the shafts, a handle carried by the member, screw-threaded means carried by the handle and connected to the movable frame for adjusting the latter, a longitudinally extending shaft carried by the upper end of said channel member and spaced upwardly from said member, an arm connected at one end of said shaft for longitudinal movement on the shaft, the other end of said arm extending toward the'handle, a longitudinal slot in the channel member, a cutting blade adjustably connected at one end to the arm to adjustably extend in and out of the slot for selectively cutting longitudinal cuts in the insulating covering of a conductor, and a. spring secured at one end to the arm and with its other end loosely bearing on the channel members to normally hold said arm upwardly so that the cutting blade is spaced upwardly of the insulating covering of a conductor.

8. In a device of the class described, a channel member, a channel-shaped stationary frame removably connected to the inner Wall of one side of the member, a movable channel-shaped frame at the other side of said member, longitudinally extending shafts removably carried by each of the frames, a plurality of spacing sleeves on the shafts, a pair of cutting wheels loosely between said sleeves and mounted on each of the shafts for rotation thereon, said cutting Wheels adapted to provide means for forming circumferential cuts in the insulating covering of a cable held between the frames, and screw-threaded means carried by the channel member and connected to the movable frame for adjusting the latter toward and away from the stationary frame.

GEORGE W. MACKEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS l5 Numbeil Name Date 843,353 McKenna Feb. 5, 1907 2,293,754 Ludke et al Aug. 25, 1942 

